5/22/03 Service Corporation International (SCI) Sued By Dozens Of Area Families

MEDIA ALERT
For More Information Contact:
Kim Sailer, Ricci*Leopold at 561-684-6500 or
Kyle Zimmer or Cara Kadyszewski, WPO/PR at 561-626-0026

MAY 22, 2003

Service Corporation International (SCI) Sued By Dozens Of Area Families
- Several Executives/Former Managers To Be Charged With Felonies Today -

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Charges will be filed today in Palm Beach County, Florida against a number of Service Corporation International (SCI) corporate executives and former managers by James Cobb who has been designated the prosecutor in the case by the Florida Attorney General’s Office.  Jeffery Frucht, SCI’s South Florida vice president, along with Robert McKay, a former general manager of two Menorah Gardens cemeteries include those to be named in the suit.  SCI proclaims itself the world’s largest funeral industry company.

In the past months, attorney Theodore (Ted) Leopold of Ricci*Leopold, P.A.,  filed a civil suit on behalf of more than 50 families which states that SCI has caused intentional infliction of emotional distress to family members, that they violated Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and that the company made material misrepresentations.  The families are seeking relief for their claims against SCI for injunctive relief, civil theft, RICO violations and civil conspiracy.  Just yesterday a family brought to light that the funeral home operation connected to the Menorah Gardens cemeteries and owned by SCI “cut the tongue out of a body for viewing purposes.”

Human remains were found in the woods adjacent to the Menorah Gardens cemetery in Palm Beach County.  Moreover, SCI is unable to prove to a number of families where and even if their loved one is buried at Menorah Gardens.  “In light of the continuing fraud that SCI and their Menorah Gardens operation continues to commit we think it is the only thing that the Attorney General’s office can and should do, in charging these defendants with felonies.  I have dozens of clients worrying, wondering and grief stricken over SCI’s outrageous conduct.  They watch the news on television and read newspapers, and have learned of this latest incident and everything hits them again,”explained Leopold.  “SCI and Menorah Gardens consciously and intentionally violated the sanctity of the dead and the bereaved and overtly violated Jewish customs and laws, with these families and in this most recent incident.  There deceptive and fraudulent business practices must be stopped, and we are hopeful that the civil charges filed and now these criminal indictments, will help to protect consumers in the future,” he said.  Adding, “this company’s cavalier attitude made during a filmed statement to the media yesterday where they proclaim ‘every funeral home makes mistakes in the course of a year,’ is ludicrous.  Fraud, deceptive trade practices and the list goes on, are not the norm for funeral service providers, however, they seem to be all part of a general business practice of SCI,” he concluded.

The civil suit, now on behalf of 50 families states a number of claims against Menorah Gardens/Service Corporation International which include secretly breaking and opening burialvaults and dumping remains in a wooded area where the remains may have been consumed bywild animals; burying remains in locations other than those purchased by plaintiffs; crushing burial vaults in order to make room for other vaults; burying remains on top of the other rather than side-by-side; secretly digging up and removing remains; secretly burying remains head-to-foot rather than side-by-side; secretly mixing body parts and remains from different individuals; secretly allowing plots owned by one part to be occupied by a different person; secretly selling plots in rows where there were more graves assigned than the rows could accommodate; secretly allowed graves to encroach on other plots; secretly sold plots so narrow that the plots could not accommodate standard burial vaults; secretly participated in the desecration of gravesites and markers and failed to exercise reasonable care in handling the plaintiff’s loved ones remains.

Theodore J. Leopold is a partner in the law firm of Ricci*Leopold, P.A.  The firm founded in 1982, has six attorneys and is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, with offices located at 1645 Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard Mr. Leopold can be contacted at 561-684-6500.  Additional information about this suit may be obtained from the firm’s website at www.riccilaw.com.  A copy of the civil complaint is available on the firm’s website.

Mr. Leopold as well as several of the plaintiffs in the suit are available for interviews at the Ricci Leopold offices.  To schedule interviews please contact Kim Sailer at Ricci *Leopold, 561-684-6500.